Tears of a Broken World
by Mio-san
Summary: "We will protect you with our lives..." Mii, Lirio, and their daughter, Stella, share a quiet moment in the storm-tossed throes of the night. Previously known as Safe & Sound!


**A/N: Hello everyone!**

**Like most oneshots I write, this idea popped into my head and I couldn't get it out… so, this is a fluffy little fanfic for Mii, Lirio, and Stella-chan! As mentioned in the summary, this was a songfic previously known as Safe & Sound, but was taken down for revising after I was contacted by a reviewer who let me know that it broke regulation. So with a little bit of collaboration from my friend, The Black Maiden, Tears of a Broken World was born! The song lyrics in here belong to her and I, so stealing them is COPYRIGHT! Yeah, you heard me! **

**Anyways, enjoy~**

…

_Look up to the sky_

_Stop our world from passing by_

"¡Fuera!"

Seven-year-old Stella drew her knees to her chest and turned away from the brilliant flash that appeared outside her window. "Fuera, fuera, fuera…"

Another light, a different, softer one, flickered to life in the hallway, shining under the crack of the door. Stella flinched as a burst of thunder echoed through the room, followed by another flash.

_Someday I'll come for you, my love_

The door swung open, and a lavender-haired woman appeared in a white silk slip, followed by a man clad in green pants and a hastily thrown-on t-shirt. "Is everything alright in here?"

Mii rushed to her daughter's side, combing one hand through her spiky black hair. "Mi hija, what is troubling you?"

"It must be the storm," Lirio said, walking to the curtains and drawing them shut. "We haven't had one like this for a while."

Rain pounded against the windowpane, and Stella flinched again. "I don't like the storm. It's too noisy."

Mii laughed softly. "When you were a baby, you would sleep right through this. The storm cannot hurt you here."

"We are safe?" said Stella doubtfully, moving closer to Mii. Lirio sat down on her other side, and she leaned into their warmth.

"Of course," her father smiled. "Zaha, and Nafhe, and Mazuma will all protect you."

"Well… maybe not Mazuma." Stella grinned a little. "You guys are super strong."

"Eso es correcto, mi hija," Mii nodded. "And we will protect you with our lives."

They sat there for a moment in silence. Mii and Lirio began to get up, then thunder boomed outside the mother ship and Stella jumped. "Please don't leave, yet."

_Before I get lost in the world above_

They both exchanged an affectionate glance and sat back down on the bed, arranging the blanket around Stella. "On our planet, we had a saying about storms," Lirio told her, his face illuminated by the hallway's warm lighting. "When the thunder roared and the lightning flashed, the gods were throwing a party in the heavens, and it was so very loud and extravagant that not even we could help but overhear."

"A party?" asked Stella, her face screwed up in thought. "Why would the gods throw a party?"

"Usa tu imaginación," Mii chided. "Anything is possible, as a god or a mortal, as we are."

"We are gods!" Stella puffed out her chest, storm forgotten.

Her parents smiled. "Yes, we are."

Stella thought for a moment more. "What about the rain? Did you have a legend about rain?"

"You're sharp," Lirio teased. "No, we never did have a legend about rain. It always just existed, as it was."

"Sin embargo, nunca es demasiado tarde para crear una leyenda," said Mii. "You can open your mind to the many wonders of the universe, and that is how legends are written."

Watching the water-streaked glass, Stella seemed to take Mii's advice to heart. "What about tears?"

"Hmm?" Lirio and Mii questioned their daughter simultaneously.

"Tears," repeated Stella. "The gods are crying."

_I'll do anything to keep you safe_

Her parents looked at each other. "Yes, I suppose that could be."

Stella smiled contentedly to herself and curled up, burrowing her face into Mii's chest. Lirio stroked her hair gently as the two Apostles and their daughter huddled on the bed and the rain pounded at the window.

Then, there was a hushed mumble from the black-haired girl.

"Mi hija?" Mii questioned, touching Stella's head. "Repita, por favor."

Stella lifted her eyes to her parents—her very wide, blue eyes that could have been mistaken for windows into her soul. "Will you sing?"

Taken aback, Mii looked at Lirio, who shrugged. With a gentle smile, the lavender-haired Apostle met her daughter's gaze and nodded. "Of course. Is there a particular song you want to hear?"

Stella took a moment to think. "Me sorprende," she requested in her mother's native tongue.

Mii laughed quietly. She whispered something in Lirio's ear and he nodded in agreement. "Very well. Lirio and I have something very special for you tonight, alright?"

"Okay!" Stella fell back onto the bed, crawling underneath her covers.

Exchanging glances, Mii and Lirio began to sing.

_Beautiful eyes for a beautiful life_

_Darling, you mean everything to me_

_Through a thousand years of pain and strife_

_When you open your eyes, you'll see_

Stella smiled contentedly, half-asleep. "More."

The two Apostles exchanged yet another glance. The one-stanza lullaby they both knew well had always been just that—one stanza. Making a quick gesture to Lirio that seemed to say, "I can handle this," Mii took another deep breath and brought up memories she had long since tried to discard—the memory of her time on the planet she called home, and the war that had ravaged Earth for just a few years when they had first arrived. She organized it as fast as she could into a stanza and opened her mouth once more.

_Let go of the darkness_

_How could they be so heartless?_

_Tell me, does the Earth feel cold?_

_You made our broken world whole_

Lirio chimed in as Mii returned to the chorus.

_Beautiful eyes for a beautiful life_

_Darling, you mean everything to me_

_Through a thousand years of pain and strife_

_When you open your eyes, you'll see_

As Mii prepared for the next stanza, Lirio nudged her gently.

"Shh," he warned.

Stella had fallen asleep.

The small girl's chest rose lightly with every breath, her spiky black hair splayed out across the pillow and her eyelashes fluttering like a butterfly's wing. Sharing a tender look, the two Apostles got up as carefully as they could from the mattress, Lirio halting in the doorway as Mii lingered at Stella's bedside. "Are you coming?" he asked quietly.

"Of course, just a moment." Mii waved him off, and Lirio disappeared into the hallway.

That was when the lavender-haired woman leaned down and kissed Stella's forehead, her hand resting lightly on the girl's shoulder. Mii straightened and smiled, letting the worry lines that had formed on her brow be at ease.

"Buenos noches, mi hija," she whispered, almost silently. And then, Mii was gone.

…

**A/N: Too short! Too short, dangit! I wanted to make it longer!**

…**Oh well.**

**Am I any good at writing family fluff? This is my first time, so I'm looking for feedback! And also, I apologize for the uber-angsty title. But it has to do with the song lyrics, so deal with it. **

**You guys know where the reviews are~**** Peace!**


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